Nuno's most important Nottingham Forest player is now crystal clear after Bournemouth horror-show - opinion
Yesterday at 04:35 AM
Nottingham Forest were beaten 5-0 by Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium as the eight-match unbeaten run came to an abrupt end.
Naturally, Nuno Espirito Santo has some work to do. Forest have now conceded seven goals in 135 minutes of football, stretching back to the last 20 minutes of the 3-2 win over Southampton last weekend.
Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola had some advice for Espirito Santo after the game. He tactically outclassed the Forest head coach on Saturday and his team are now dreaming of a top-four finish themselves this season.
Espirito Santo was spotted raging with Murillo during the defeat to Bournemouth. The defeat certainly gives the Forest boss some food for thought and it’s very important to try and bounce back against Brighton next week.
Certain things were highlighted by Bournemouth yesterday. Not least Forest’s most important player is now abundantly clear after this horror show of epic proportions.
Nottingham Forest felt Callum Hudson-Odoi absence vs Bournemouth
It’s never a good sight when you see a top player requiring treatment on the pitch. That’s what happened to Callum Hudson-Odoi last week against Southampton and he was forced to miss out against Bournemouth.
In his absence, Jota Silva was handed the chance to play and he just didn’t perform once again. Last week, Silva was way off the pace after replacing Hudson-Odoi in the 37th minute against Southampton.
It’s hard to say that Forest wouldn’t still have lost had Hudson-Odoi played. After all, the Reds rarely do well against Bournemouth and Andoni Iraola’s team are absolutely flying at the moment.
However, there was some balance lacking from the Forest performance and Hudson-Odoi has proved since signed for Forest that he’s a great outlet when looking to play on the counter.
Yesterday against a rampant Bournemouth, Forest missed Hudson-Odoi and the hope now will be that he can return to the squad for next weekend’s game against Brighton at the City Ground.
Callum Hudson-Odoi stats 2024/25
Forest paid just £3 million to sign Hudson-Odoi from Chelsea. He’s proved an outrageous signing for the club and is very much an important component in the way Espirito Santo likes to play.
Hudson-Odoi has lost his way at Chelsea somewhat. He also spent a year on loan with Bayer Leverkusen with limited success and moving to Forest has helped him rediscover his best form.
| Callum Hudson-Odoi stats 2024/25 | Total |
| Appearances | 20 |
| Goals | 3 |
| Key Passes | 34 |
| Successful Dribbles | 27 |
| Shots | 27 |
Forest will be hoping and praying that the groin injury he sustained against Southampton isn’t serious. The team desperately needs him to get back involved and do what he does best.
Hudson-Odoi has enjoyed a fine season to date. After yesterday’s thrashing at the hands of Bournemouth, it’s now blatantly obvious that Hudson-Odoi is Forest’s most important player.
